Resolution in sight for family fighting foxes

A PALMWOODS family fighting eviction from their home because of a flying fox colony has been given a ray of hope.

The Semple family have met with a representative from Queensland Transport and Main Roads, which owns the property, and a resolution is in sight.

Kurt Semple, his wife Tiana, and their children aged 15 and 8, were given two months notice to vacate their rental property last week after raising the issue of the flying foxes in correspondence about repairs.

The notice to leave, for health and safety reasons, stunned the Semples.

The family had been co-existing with the flying foxes since about 200 moved into trees on the Jubilee Dr property a couple of years ago.

The number of flying foxes has since exploded to an estimated 350,000 - 500,000.

RED SKY: Little red flying foxes in their sunset flyout.

He was unable to comment further yesterday.

A Queensland Transport and Main Roads spokesman confirmed a meeting had taken place.

"We have met the family this morning and are committed to working with them towards a solution," the statement said.

Meanwhile, visiting little red flying foxes are making an impression on skies across the Sunshine Coast.

The council is monitoring the migratory mammals as part of its Environment Levy program.

Infrastructure Services director Andrew Ryan said increased numbers of the flying foxes had been reported at Coolum and Tooway Lake but were due to return to their maternity roosts in north and western areas of Queensland by late March.

SKY HIGH: Flying foxes head out for flowers and nectar.

"Little reds are night-time pollinators and are essential to many of our local eucalypts, whose flowers only open at night," Mr Ryan said.

Danielle Crawford watches the flying foxes when she picks up her daughter, Ava, 3, from daycare around dusk.

"I think they are beautiful, they have beautiful little faces and they are so important ecologically," she said.

Ms Crawford said it was a shame many people associated bats with health risks when the chance of catching a serious disease was less than being bitten by a snake.

The secret life of flying foxes will be the subject of presentations by Gecko's Wildlife at council libraries this month.